“It’s difficult to change if you are not aware”

We are talking about the change that industry is experiencing; change that the candidates need to bring in their portfolios to score better placements; change that these ‘managers of tomorrow’ want to bring in the industry.  Besides this, industry trends, placement hurdles, peer pressures are some of the concerns that bother final year students who are looking for their first major breakthrough in the industry after completing their studies.

To answer all such queries of Pearl graduates who are on the verge of stepping into a new world full of possibilities – HR Summit is the initiative for them. Hosted by Pearl Academy, India’s leading design institute, this summit was an interactive platform for the final year students of Academy’s ‘School of Creative Business’. During the ‘HR Summit’, students got a chance to interact with the industry experts and have an understanding of the industry expectations as well.

The panel consisted of eminent HR and industry experts from leading brands like Infinite Luxury, Limeroad, Triburg, Ikon Retail, and Design Worldwide. Panelists talked about two key issues – What to expect during ‘First 90 days in a company’ and ‘Shaping Managers of Tomorrow – Industry expectations and Best Practices to Increase Students’ Credibility’. They also discussed the latest recruitment trends, expectation of employers (hard skills vs soft skills), and what students can do to leave a strong impact in the first 90 days of their joining.

The event started with the opening speech of Megha Singhal, an alumna of Pearl Academy, who is a Fashion Designer at Triburg. “It was my huge appetite for constant learning and the attitude to add value to the company through my work that made me climb higher on the ladder.” said Megha who will be launching her own apparels venture shortly.

The second speaker at the summit was Sanjay Sarma, CEO, Design WorldWide. He shared 15 Mantras of success with the students to become a smart industry professional. He touched upon topics such as importance of unlearning, following your passion, curiosity, right attitude should be supported by right aptitude, balance between work and life, planning, learning from collective experience, etc. among others. “Attitude is good and each one of you should have it provided you have the aptitude to match it. Think like the Navy and act like the pirates”, said Sanjay to the students. “The coming age will be of entrepreneurs who will change the entire way our industry works.” he added further.

Adding to the ongoing insightful discussion, Indrajit Sen, HR Consultant and Corporate Trainer, gave three rules of learning – Enjoy being uncomfortable, Empty your Cups, and The More you give, The More you get. Indrajit also said that the industry is looking for solution providers and adaptable individuals. “Mentoring is a very important part of the entire recruitment process. One should always seek for information from all corners of life and try to gain experience” said Inderjit.

Priya Mary Mathew, Head-School of Creative Business, Pearl Academy, thanked the panelists for their views and valuable time. She quoted “The real struggle starts after the college where each one of you will fight your own battles. It will not be a bed of roses; thorns will outnumber roses most of the times. But as your teachers, we have equipped you with knowledge, skills and wisdom to march ahead and reach your destination.” said Priya to the future managers of creative industries.

The HR Summit was a hit in terms of student participation and involvement. The Pearlites learnt about the next steps to achieve an accomplishing career.